LUMECA

Lehigh University Media, Entertainment, and Communications Alumni (LUMECA) on MyLehigh

A Letter from the Founder of LUMECA:

Spring 2012

So many solutions to today’s problems or inefficiencies are being solved by the onslaught of apps. While many LUMECA members are combining content and technology to create and deliver engaging and resourceful apps, LUMECA serves as a valuable app; a hybrid of the physical and digital worlds.

LUMECA works digitally within LinkedIn, Facebook, and MyLehigh but a huge element of its value proposition lives in the physical world – the face-to-face environment. While many apps offer convenience and economy by reducing in-person contact, LUMECA believes there is great value worthiness in human interaction; proven at our LUMECA events. LUMECA members believe that combining digital and physical interaction is efficient and effective and provides personal and professional competitive advantage and differentiation.

Whether for business needs or personal hobbies, many of us utilize Meet-Up which harnesses the virtual world to facilitate in-person gatherings of like interested people. LUMECA is similar to the Meet-Up in that it aggregates the common media/entertainment, technology, or entrepreneurship interest and the shared Lehigh experience. As alumni, we interact to facilitate the attainment of professional insights, information, and education and to create business contacts for professional advantage. Enhancing the Lehigh brand name in the media/entertainment marketplace also serves to bolster our individual value and brand to employers, co-workers, clients, and vendors.

In the three years since LUMECA’s formation, active members are gaining benefit by participating in the fulfillment of LUMECA’s mission. These LUMECA participants have been able to source expertise to assist in media business dealings (or help their contacts source their media expertise needs) through the people they have met and connected with via LUMECA. LUMECA provides the platform and readily delivers useful contacts. To take advantage of this, as the active members have, you need to show-up, talk to people, and swap business cards; it’s quite easy and painless since that is what everyone else is looking to do at the events.

In the 2011 update letter, I noted that we had over 450 members identified in the Lehigh database and 260 of them in LinkedIn. For 2012, we are over 600 members in the Lehigh data base and 375 on LinkedIn. We are in half of the United States, plus four other countries. In 2011 we held our first co-produced event with the Bucknell University, Media & Technology Alumni Network. In 2012, our events expand beyond the New York City area as we hold our first LUMECA event for the San Francisco Bay area LUMECA membership.

What LUMECA requests of you:

Join us on LinkedIn and suggest other alumni.
Support LUMECA events and initiatives; share your ideas to enhance the group's value. Please come forward to assist in producing an event in your area, as the San Francisco Bay area alumni have done.
Keep us updated of your professional changes, so we can update the database.

You can be a semi-active member of LinkedIn, Facebook, and MyLehigh, but you will increase your ROI by attending our events and engaging with the attendees. And in addition to helping your professional endeavors, you may make a couple of friends, too.

The LUMECA app is free, so please “download it,” today.

Dave
David L. Polakoff '86
Chairperson, LUMECA

Mobile: 917-741-0996
Skype : David.Polakoff
Email: DavidPolakoff@nyc.rr.com
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/184/80b
http://davidpolakoff.wordpress.com (Blog and Details)

To view archived newsletters, click here.

LUMECA Officers

Chairperson: David Polakoff '86
Vice-Chairperson: Larry Thomas '83

Regional Vice-Chairpersons:
N.Y.: Beth Fraikorn '82, Jim Cameron '72
D.C., Maryland, Virginia: Cal Covert '79
Los Angeles: Fred Stefany '88

Communications: Greg Palmer '04
Events: Lara Cohn '93, Tracy Sandford '89

Advisory Members:
Chris Hamer
Bill Sutman '83
Al Pedecine '74
Ellen Stone '87